Workers clear the turf at B.C. Place during a FIFA World Cup 2026 update in Vancouver in April, 2024.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
British Columbia’s courts are juggling cases to avoid unconstitutional delays as Lower Mainland courthouses prepare to halt jury trials and other proceedings during the four weeks of FIFA World Cup games.
B.C. courts are already struggling to meet strict timelines to ensure cases are not thrown out for undue delays while trying to schedule a stream of new cases. Disruptions to account for the World Cup could add to that pressure.
According to Vancouver’s organizing committee, roughly 350,000 soccer fans are expected to visit the city when it hosts seven World Cup matches later this year. Other matches are spread between host cities across North America including Toronto, Los Angeles, and Mexico City.
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In January, Chief Justice Ron Skolrood of the B.C. Supreme Court issued a notice saying that no criminal or civil jury trials would be heard during the “FIFA period” between June 12 and July 8 at courthouses in Vancouver, Abbotsford, New Westminster and Chilliwack.
In a separate statement, Chief Judge Melissa Gillespie, of the B.C. provincial court, said criminal trials in the lower courts that require police attendance “will generally not be scheduled” during the FIFA period “due to police officer unavailability.”
The provincial courthouses expecting to see disruption include those in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pemberton, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Sechelt, Surrey, as well as Vancouver criminal and civil courts.
The disruptions are due in part to the expected drain on police resources during the tournament. Police officers needed as witnesses may be busy handling public safety and crowd management.
Increased traffic congestion, especially in downtown Vancouver, is also expected to cause problems, as is access to hotels needed for out-of-town witnesses which “may be extremely limited,” Justice Skolrood wrote.
“As is always the case, the Court cannot guarantee that a trial judge will be available on scheduled dates,” he added.
The provincial court said that as a result of planning begun in 2025, “there are very few criminal trials currently set between June 12 and July 8 that need to be moved.”
Spokespeople for both courts would not say exactly how many cases would be affected by the changes.
“Everybody’s going to feel it,” said Toby Goldbach, an assistant law professor at the University of British Columbia.
“I don’t think that this is necessarily going to throw everything into chaos. I think it’s bringing to the forefront … significant problems that already exist,” Prof. Goldbach said.
Criminal trials in the lower courts that require police attendance will not be scheduled because it will put a drain on police resources during the tournament.Isabella Falsetti/The Globe and Mail
Data from B.C.’s court activity dashboard suggest that the Lower Mainland superior and provincial courthouses handle a high volume of cases.
The courthouses affected by the expected disruptions handled an average of more than 1,300 new criminal cases per month combined last year. That number represents the total new cases at the courthouses, not just trials.
On the civil court side, the caseload is even higher: The affected provincial and superior courthouses saw an average of 3,211 cases per month in 2024/2025.
In 2024, the most recent data available, B.C. Supreme Courts saw 282 criminal jury trials scheduled across the province. Of those, 72 ultimately proceeded to trial that year.
B.C.’s courts – like those in most provinces – are struggling under the strict deadlines imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2016 Jordan decision, which requires that criminal trials in provincial courts be completed within 18 months, and 30 months for superior courts.
It’s unclear how many cases could be pushed beyond their limits because of the FIFA disruptions. Every application to have a case thrown out because of the Jordan deadlines must consider all the particular elements of individual cases, including the degree to which lawyers and the courts made meaningful attempts to avoid unreasonable delays.
In a statement Trevor Guy, a spokesperson for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, did not say whether it expects any disruptions when Toronto plays host to its own series of FIFA games this summer.
“As the province continues planning for this event, the Court will notify the public on its website of any material impact to its operations,” Mr. Guy wrote.
Data show B.C. courts continue to struggle with Jordan deadlines, and the system is also grappling with a chronic shortage of sheriffs and judges.DARRYL DYCK
The latest Statistics Canada data show B.C. courts continue to struggle with Jordan deadlines. More than 380 criminal cases in B.C. hit their Jordan framework time limits and were either stayed or withdrawn in the 2023-24 fiscal year. That included roughly 20 sexual assault cases, and 51 major assault cases.
The B.C. court system is also grappling with a chronic shortage of sheriffs and judges, Prof. Goldbach said. In 2024, the most recent year for which data are available, Prof. Goldbach said 13 per cent of Supreme Court trial dates were cancelled because of a lack of available judges.
Each of those disruptions can add up to a year to the lifespan of a case, Prof. Goldbach said, because rescheduling them is such a challenge.
The courts are taking measures to mitigate the disruptions from the FIFA games.
Judge-alone criminal trials are expected to continue, but only in cases where a trial will take 10 days or less and the accused is either not in custody, or can appear by video. Judge-alone civil and family trials will also continue.
Provincial criminal proceedings and trials that don’t require police attendance can be scheduled, Judge Gillespie’s notice said. However, trials at the provincial courthouse on Main Street will not hold in-person trials on tournament game days.
Cases at risk of running afoul of Jordan timelines may have to be moved away from the Main Street courthouse to other facilities, Judge Gillespie said.
In the weeks leading up to the FIFA period, “there may be decreased family and civil trials ... to allow for increased criminal trials,” Judge Gillespie’s notice said.
Provincial courts expect to continue hearing family and small claims cases during the FIFA period, provided there are enough courtrooms and judges, and with a focus on cases that can be heard virtually, Judge Gillespie’s notice said.
Rebecca McConchie, the president of the B.C. Trial Lawyers Association, noted B.C. courts issued the first notices about the delays almost a year ahead of the tournament and that has given lawyers time to try to avoid the worst outcomes.
But even if the juggling means cases won’t run afoul of Jordan deadlines, Ms. McConchie said the impact will likely still be significant.
According to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, in B.C. roughly 70 per cent of people in jail are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of a crime.
“The people most impacted by this shutdown will be the accused who are in custody, whose case cannot be heard earlier, and who have to wait an additional month in jail for their case to be heard,” Ms. McConchie said.
The last time a major sporting event came to Vancouver − the 2010 Winter Olympics − it also caused disruptions at the courts. Policing requirements were so great that police leaves of absence were cancelled, training was put on hold and court appearances postponed.
Jerome Igbokwe, a lawyer with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said with four years to plan for FIFA, the province should have learned from that experience.
“The way we see it, it’s about prioritizing hosting international events, even if it means that human rights and civil liberties of people in our communities are disrupted in ways that are entirely foreseeable and preventable,” Mr. Igbokwe said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Rebecca McConchie's first name.